MFT Guest: Interview with Jennifer Donnelly & Giveaway!

Today Jennifer Donnelly is on for a short interview. Since I hadn’t read any of her books yet when I sent her the interview a couple months ago I had Ashley who blogs at Books From Bleh to Basically Amazing come up with some questions. So a huge thanks to her!

Make sure you read to the end because there’s a giveaway for a signed copy of Revolution!

There is a LOT of emotional pain in Revolution. The MC is hurting through most of the book, & its vivid & tangible. I physically ached while reading it. How did you take something that could be considered angsty and translate it into emotion?I never considered what Andi is feeling as mere angst. Angst is about dread, fear, anxiety. Andi’s heart is broken. She’s experiencing genuine, harrowing grief. She has lost her brother, and she feels responsible for his death. Her father has left the family. Her mother is suffering from a mental breakdown. If those circumtances don’t justify deep emotional pain, I don’t know what does.

Why did you choose the French Revolution as a main plot arch?

The French Revolution chose me. I read an article in the New York Times about the terrible treatment of Louis Charles, the young son of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, at the hands of the revolutionaries and it upset me so much, that I had to work out my emotion the only way I know how — by writing a story. I needed answers — much as Andi and Alex did — and the book gave them to me.

And is the character in the diary based in any way on a real person, & how much is the truth…

Alex, the character in the diary, is fictional, but the things she sees and experiences during the revolution — the march on Versailles, the September massacres — are true events. I read and researched both broadly and deeply in order to convey not just the political events of the time, but the the everyday ones — what Andi saw and tasted and smelled and endured and enjoyed as a citizen of Paris and Versailles in the late 18th century.

A Huge thank you to Jennifer Donnelly (who’s super busy writing amazing books at the moment) for answering the questions!

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break. PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape. Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present. Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.

The Giveaway:

Jennifer has sent me a beautiful, signed, Hardcover copy of Revolution to giveaway to one lucky person.

About Candace

Candace is an eclectic reader that loves young adult and adult books. She also reviews children's and middle grade books because she's the mother of two children. She's been blogging since 2008 and is also the owner and operator of CBB Book Promotions.

I’ve loved every single one of Jennifer Donnelly’s books – YA and otherwise – ever since I read The Tea Rose. What a fabulous author! I’m ridiculously excited to read The Wild Rose later this summer, but a signed copy of Revolution would be amazing. Thanks for the giveaway! sarah (at) brazenbookworm (dot) com

This book sounds amazing and I have a great appreciation for all the research Jennifer did before writing it. I think it’s really important when writing about past events that the facts are right. Great interview!

Thanks for the interview and giveaway! I just finished taking AP European History, and with the French Revolution being such a major event, I’d love to get to read more about it (and Revolution will be less confusing than my textbook 🙂 )

Great interview. History class kicked my ass at times (AP class 🙁 ), but the French Revolution really fascinated me. I love that while researching it and even though it has been years, reading the things that have happened, it still struck you. It is amazing you took that and shaped it into your own “history”. I love the idea of this book, just amazing and I love the book cover. Thank you guys so much. Great giveaway interview, may have been short but it was still a great read.

I love A Northern Light, it is still one of my favorite books even years after reading it and re-reading it. I would love to have a signed copy of Revolution! Thanks for the great interview and giveaway. apk1princess(at)live(dot)com